Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Scientists Identify Autism Signpost That Could Eventually Lead To Treatment For The Disorder

Researchers found a correlation between a hormone and autism-like behavior in monkeys, which could be used to diagnose the disorder. The hormone could also become a drug target if future studies show boosting its levels can assuage social impairments. In other public health news: cancer screenings, gene-editing, tick-borne diseases, empathy, strokes, and more.

Stat:
In Monkeys, Researchers Find Possible Clue To Diagnosing Autism
Researchers have been left empty-handed so far in their quest to uncover some measurable biological signal that could be used to diagnose autism spectrum disorder, leaving clinicians to identify the condition just based on a child’s behavior. But on Wednesday, scientists reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine that a hormone that regulates blood pressure could be one of those signposts. (Joseph, 5/2)

The Wall Street Journal:
CDC Eyes Review Of Gynecological Cancer Screens
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to review whether gynecologists should conduct more cancer screening before common procedures such as hysterectomies, according to people familiar with the agency’s plans. The consequences of not knowing range from providing less-effective treatment to accidentally spreading malignancies. (Levitz and McKay, 5/2)

Stat:
Francis Collins On Gene Editing And What He'd Change About Science
The 68-year-old physician-geneticist has led the National Institutes of Health for nine years, with zero plans of slowing. The organization is on the verge of launching a massive endeavor — the “All of Us” effort to sequence the genomes of 1 million Americans from all walks of life. STAT sat down for a chat with the ever-avuncular Collins at this week’s Milken Institute Conference in Los Angeles — a Davos-like confab stacked with Wall Street glitterati, Hollywood change agents, industry titans, and academics. (Keshavan, 5/3)

The Associated Press:
Schumer To CDC: Unlock Funds To Combat Tick-Borne Diseases
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says New York communities girding for a jump in tick-borne diseases as the weather warms up need federal funding to combat the problem now rather than later. The Senate minority leader, appearing Wednesday on Long Island and in Rockland County, is urging the Centers for Disease Control to unlock millions in additional funding included in the recently passed federal budget. (5/2)

Marketplace:
Some Health Care Firms Focus On Empathy To Keep People Healthier
During the past decade, some health care businesses have begun to experiment with new ways to keep people healthier and out of the hospital by improving the relationships between medical professionals and patients. This push for more empathetic care springs from a change in how health care providers get paid. (Gorenstein, 5/2)

The New York Times:
Saunas May Reduce Stroke Risk
Taking saunas may reduce the risk for stroke. Researchers studied 1,628 men and women aged 53 to 74, free of stroke at the start. They had data on body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking, blood pressure, blood lipid levels, and other health and behavioral characteristics that affect cardiovascular health. (Bakalar, 5/2)

California Healthline:
Blacks, Latinos, Women Found Less Likely To Get The Mental Health Care They Need
Black Californians are more likely to experience mental health problems than other ethnic groups, and they are less likely to get the care they need, according to a study released Tuesday. The study, by Santa Monica-based Rand Corp., shows a connection between untreated mental health problems and multiple absences from work, which can take an economic toll on individuals and families in the form of lost pay and even lost jobs. That dynamic disproportionately affects communities of color. (Abram, 5/1)

The Wall Street Journal:
Long Efforts To Stop Hot-Car Deaths
Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicular deaths for children under 15 years old, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most cases involve a parent or caretaker who unintentionally leaves the child in the car. The number of deaths—an annual average of 37—has remained consistent over the years, despite efforts from child-safety advocacy groups, hospital education programs, product developers and a steady stream of media coverage. The efforts face the same challenge: Many people don’t believe this could ever happen to them. (Byron, 5/2)

The Wall Street Journal:
A Mother Whose Lapse Led To Child’s Death Seeks To Prevent Further Hot-Car Casualties
Karen Osorio was alarmed when her husband called at the end of the day to say their 15-month-old daughter wasn’t at the day-care center when he went to pick her up. Then she considered a horrifying possibility. She sprinted to the parking lot of her office at Procter & Gamble Co. ​“That’s when I saw her, she was in the car,” says Ms. Osorio, a senior scientist at P&G. While she had been working in the office all day, her daughter, Sofia, had remained buckled in her car seat, having never been dropped off at the day-care center. “My baby just died, my baby just died,” Ms. Osorio told a 911 dispatcher between gasps. “I left her in the car, she’s dead.” (Byron, 5/2)

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